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HSIEH x TSOU

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HSIEH YU-CIAO

Multi-media artist who is outraged by the  public

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TSOU TSAI-LIN

The friend
working in finance

Although I have known Hsieh for about six years and have had numerous discussions with her about art ideas during our chats and collaborations, I have never heard her contextualize her art. The interview has enabled me to see her scattered ideas form into a clear outline. I was prompted to compare my journey with Tsou's, who has been friends with Hsieh since their elementary school days. Tsou knew Hsieh from the perspective of a friend but was unaware of Hsieh's art. It is interesting to see how Tsou weaves her understanding of Hsieh as a friend with her newfound knowledge of Hsieh as an artist.

An art conversation between them does not usually happen, as they prefer to talk about their personal lives and emotions instead. The reason is based on Hsieh’s indifference to public opinion and the awkwardness of explaining her artistic thinking to friends. According to Hsieh, "As Tsou has grown and developed her understanding within the framework of general education, my focus has shifted more and more towards the arts, and I have noticed that discussing art with her has become increasingly challenging. Therefore, I have no expectations for her to engage in art discussions, nor do I anticipate her to comprehend me more as an artist." As Hsieh uses art to express a different side of herself, it may not be the same perspective that she shares with her friend, Tsou.

On the other hand, art is very unfamiliar territory for Tsou. She usually does not take the initiative to approach it. Visual language is difficult for her; she requires the support of texts to build up the meaning of what is shown. In her words, “video art is a medium that keeps me from feeling settled.” Tsou called herself an outsider and told me how friendship acts as an important push for her to engage in art. To this end, I am striving to step in between them, break the silence, and stir up this oversaturated status.

In the past few years, Tsou visited Hsieh’s exhibitions twice to support Hsieh’s efforts. One of them was the visit to the work Paradise of Chaos II: Virus Creation, displayed at the Kuandu Museum of Art in Taipei. During the visit, Hsieh first briefly explained the work. From the conversation with Tsou, Tsou told me that she heavily relied on the captions and narrations since she wanted to understand what is told in the piece so badly. I also learned that the blind and dazzled viewing process had limited her from coming up with her interpretation. As Tsou mentioned, “For me, there is too much going on at once. I could not organize my thoughts toward the works onsite, but I could only tell Hsieh that I understood her expression. That’s all.” This comment has made me think about how to guide the art conversations and what position I should enact in between them.

Review

Hsieh's art

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